‘Gilmore Girls’: Which Character Had The Most Development in the Revival?
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life could eventually return to Netflix for a second season. At least, Amy Sherman-Palladino is completely onboard with the idea of returning for another season if all the stars align. The first revival didn’t always sit well with fans, though. They hated the way Rory appeared to be floundering. There were moments in the four-part miniseries that were great, though. In fact, two characters had fans rooting for them by the end of the revival.
Jess Mariano changed the most between the series and the revival
When fans first met Jess Mariano, he was an angsty teen who wasn’t ready to hop into life in a small town. He was selfish, stubborn, and completely self-destructive. He found some success during the show’s six-season run but still seemed pretty angsty when fans last connected with him.
That all changed when he walked into the frame in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. By far, Jess was the character who changed the most between when fans last saw him and the revival. Stable and mature, Jess had taken on the caregiver role that had long gone to Luke Danes. He was finally mature enough for Rory. Unfortunately for Jess, Rory was no longer good enough for him.
Emily Gilmore had the most compelling story
Emily Gilmore served as a secondary character for the entirety of the show’s original run. Yes, she was an important character, but the series was not exactly about her. Fans initially expected to see Emily in the same supporting role, but much to their surprise, Emily ended up having the most compelling storyline in the revival.
After the death of Richard Gilmore, Emily admitted to feeling a little lost. While she could have wallowed, Emily picked herself up and eventually figured out a way to continue living, even without Richard by her side. Her new life in Nantucket was significantly different from the life she led in Hartford, Connecticut, but it surprisingly suited her.
Watching Emily figure out how to navigate life without her beloved husband was both heartbreaking and empowering. It was also nice to see a glimpse of the fire that was clearly inside of Emily all along. Maybe, in the end, Lorelai wasn’t the only trailblazer in her family.
Rory Gilmore experienced the most regression
Fans may have been happy to see both Emily and Jess develop into more robust characters, but they were heavily disappointed in Rory. During Gilmore Girls’ original run, Rory was responsible, intellectual, and ambitious. Sure, she suffered a few lapses in judgment, but overall she was a relatively good kid. By the time fans reconnected with her, her life had completely unraveled.
Rory’s career in journalism was going nowhere, and she didn’t seem particularly interested in making it happen either. She had nowhere to live, no close ties, and a smattering of fractured and troubled relationships. All in all, Rory was a mess, and fans were so not there for it.
